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Topic: Marking virgin queens (Read 2507 times)

Can virgin queens be painted? I don't know if being labeled would lower their chances of mating. Seems a lot easier to mark them out of the roller cage, than waiting for them to mate, locate, and mark. Thank you! (I searched this before asking but didn't see anything. But I am also a computer idiot)

if you are not a breeder and you are not going to requeen on schedule, why bother marking?

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I have trouble finding marked queens with my eyes. Long story short, I plan on grafting to re queen all of my hives mid July. Start winter off with new queens, and hopefully sell nucs next spring. Customers would like them marked as well. Personally, I don't look for queens until I have to. Seeing larvae is good enough for me. Seeing eggs, means getting out my 8X magnifier!

"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may remember,involve me and I'll understand" Chinese Proverb

"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways." John F. KennedyFranklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

Already watched it, and shot him a couple emails already. My problem is I lost 75% of my hives this winter, so will graft from surviving queens. I plan on doing OTS in spring. Thanks for reply nonetheless. I can do OTS and re queen all my packages in July, with frames from my overwintered hives, but I already have money invested in grafting equipment, and want to get a little more use out of it.

My .02 from this year's experience is that marking virgins is a waste of time. Can it be done with no harm to the queen, sure. But what's the point if she doesn't get mated properly at the end? I'd rather spend the effort marking after the confirmed results. Also, as others have stated, you might be adding that little bit of flash that does her in with a bird. Besides, after marking the first 4 virgins of this year and only getting one successfully mated, again, more trouble than it's worth.

Yes, but they are much more likely to fly on you and I've lost many a virgin queen that way before I gave it up.

I agree. I just tried it with a 5-way split (happened to inspect on queen-hatching day!). After 8 days, tried to mark them. Even at that point they were still runny and all "oh-no-so-not-letting-you-do-that". Got the first, almost lost the 2nd to flight, didn't even try the rest. Decided the possibility for disaster/injury were just too high. I'll get 'em later.... :evil:

I was marking them right out of the roller cage, so didn't have a problem handling. Just didn't know how wise it was to do so. I had several not return from mating last year, and wondered if I contributed to the problem. I got my answer. Another lesson learned the hard way, but wont learn it twice. :-D